Ice-remover for trolley-wires.



PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

M. M. WOOD, ICE RBMOVBR FOR TROLLEY WIRES.

APPLIGATION FILED MAB..24, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC COMPANY, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

lCE-REMOVEH FOR TROLLEY-WIRES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed March 24, 1905. Serial No. 251,794.

1'0 a, whmn it natty concern:

Be it known that I, MoNTRAvILLE M. Wool), a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Removers for Trolley-Wires, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to electric railways, and more particularly to means for removing ice from suspended trolley-wires in order that the traveling contact of the car may} 1 make direct electrical connection there- Wit The ice-removers heretofore in use have been designed to be connected to the trolleypole in proximity to the wheel or else the wheel has had to be removed and a speciallyconstructed ice-remover inserted in its place. In both cases a wrench or other tool had to be used and much time and skill were involved in effecting the connection and disconnection of the device.

The object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive and effective ice-remover adapted to be connected with facility to and disconnected from the ordinary trolley-wheels without the use of tools.

In carrying out my invention I provide an elastic band at equally-spaced intervals with blocks which haveworking surfaces adapted to impinge upon the trolley-wire and bearingsurfaces adapted to make contact with the sides of the peripheral groove of the trolleywheel. The ends of the attachment thus formed are provided with interlocking devices, so that upon passing it about the groove f the wheel the ends may be brought together and permanently secured until it is desired to remove it from the wheel. The elasticity of the band serves to draw the blocks into close engagement with the sides of the groove of the wheel, so that the blocks and wheel rotate as a unit.

For a more complete understanding of my invention reference may be had to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of an ordinary trolley-wheel, with part broken away, having an ice-remover embodying one form of my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the wheel-rim and the ice-remover car: ried thereby. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the blocks before application to the elastic band. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal section of two blocks and the interlocking means for holding the ends of the attachment together, and Figs. 5 and 6 are side and plan views of the blocks at the ends of the band provided with a modified form of interlock.

The trolley-wheel l is of standard construction, with a hub-2, spokes 3, and rim 4, pro' vided with aV-shaped peripheral groove 5, 1n

which the suspended conductor 6 normally travels.

The ice-removing attachment (shown in the drawings) is made up of a helical spring 7 of a length to extend about the grooved periphery of the wheel, and blocks 8 are secured there to with open spaces between their adjacent ends. The blocks 8 have their opposite sides 9 angularly displaced to correspond with the inclination of the sides of the peripheral groove of the wheel. The outer working faces 10 are straight-grooved to form impact-surfaces, and the sides opposite the working faces are provided with U-shaped grooves 11 with central inwardly-projecting ribs 12, which are designed to be forced between convolutions of the spring 7 to prevent the slipping of the blocks thereon, and the innermost edges 13 between the sides 9 and the U-shaped grooves 11 are bent toward each other, as shown in Fig. 2, about the spring 7 to permanently connect the blocks thereto.

The ends of the attachment may be locked together by bending the ends of the spring 7 into hooks 14, as shown in Fig. i, or they may be connected by providing the blocks 8 at one end with a dovetailed or headed projection 15 and the blocks 8 at the opposite end with a corresponding recess 16, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In order to prevent the interlocking members of the latter construction from becoming accidentally disconnected by the radial movement of one block relatively to the other, I provide the outer end of the recess 16 with overhanging shoulders 17, which engage the top corners of the projection l5'when in place.

When a trolley-wheel provided with my attachment is drawn along a suspended conductor, the straight chordal faces 10 produce a rapid succession of impacts upon the conductor with sufficient force to disengage the ice that may adhere thereto, and at the same time these blocks act as electrical conductors between the suspended wire and the trolleywheel.

I do not desire to restrict myself to the particular form or arrangement of parts herein shown and described, since it is apparent that they may be changed and modified without departing from my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An ice-remover for suspended electric conductors comprising a plurality of impact devices adapted to be removably connected to the periphery of a trolley-wheel.

2. An ice-remover for suspended electric conductors comprising a plurality of impact devices, and means for removably attaching said devices to the periphery of a trolleywheel.

3. An ice-remover for suspended electrical conductors comprising a plurality of cond uctor-engaging devices adapted to be carried by a trolley-wheel, and a band for holding said devices in engagement therewith.

4:. An ice-remover for suspended electrical conductors comprising a plurality of conductor-engaging devices adapted to be carried by a trolley=wheel, and an elastic band for holding said devices in engagement therewith.

5. An ice-remover for suspended electrical conductors comprising a plurality of'impactblocks adapted to be carried by a trolleywheel, and an elastic band for holding said devices in engagement therewith.

6. An attachment for trolley-wheels comprising a plurality of conductor-engaging devices, an elastic member connecting said devices, and means for locking the ends of said attachment together.

7. An attachment for trolley-wheels comprising a plurality of impact-blocks, an elastic member to which said blocks are attached at intervals, and interlocking means for connecting the ends of said attachment.

8. An attachment for trolley-wheels comprising a helical spring, a plurality of impactblocks adapted to engage the peripheral groove of the trolley-wheel and permanently attached to said spring, and interlocking means for connecting the ends of said attachment.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of March, 1905.

MONTRAVILLE M. WOOD.

Witnesses:

H. G. MACLEOD, Cl-iAs. J. ROE. 

